


The Hotel Silas

by 050313



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types, Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Broody Carmilla, F/F, Fluff, Mainly Hollstein, Possible smut, Possibly Dark Themes, The Dean is Evil, Tiny Gay Laura Hollis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-08 07:47:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12860028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/050313/pseuds/050313
Summary: A captivating, mysterious stranger lures Laura into The Hotel Silas; a seemingly tranquil place masking its more sinister motivations. Events leave her questioning everything she knew and thought possible. The occupants of the hotel are prisoners of their own devices. Could she be too?





	1. There She Stood In The Doorway.

**Author's Note:**

> Hollstein story inspired by The Eagles song The Hotel California.  
> My weird sheltering mother thought the song was too dark for me to listen to when I was growing up, now, maybe 13 or so years on I've come to love the song and during repeat listening felt inspired to write angsty fan fiction for my current series obsession: Carmilla.  
> Usually I just write for me but I thought I’d post one.  
> I do have the story planned out and so although I will update this I can’t promise it’ll be a consistent occurrence.

Laura had to admit this part of Styria was very beautiful, particularly in the dimmest light of dawn with the already fading stars making way for the day. Travelling had always been a welcome perk to her job even if it came with these sleepless nights leading into restless days in the in between. She’d always felt drawn to journalism; knowing the truth and helping people always seemed to outweigh anything else. She felt a burning need to find justice and speak for the voiceless.

This trip was no different. A place like this, frozen in it’s tranquil beauty really didn’t feel like the sort of place to have such a dark mystery, yet years of missing girls and clueless law enforcement beckoned Laura to investigate. Her little team worked independently to break their own stories. They’d had a fair amount of success and with each of these victories Laura found herself in search of their next mystery. Of course her father would bring up her obsession with her work every time they talked. He worried about her and she understood. There were certain risks to a field like this; being the correspondent that travelled, mostly alone, to unknown cities to pry in potentially dangerous places she wasn’t always welcome. For his sake she would take all the bear spray he supplied, listening intently to his various ‘new methods’ of fending off attackers.

She smiled to herself. She was only a few hours from him here, once this job was over she’d plan a visit. Her focus returned to the road. In about 10 minutes she’d be at the Silas University campus from which most of the girls had disappeared. She’d spoken to a very eager student, by the name of Danny, who had offered to let her stay with her but she didn’t want to cause anyone additional hassle. There’d surely be somewhere to stay in the near by town.  
Just as this thought passed through her mind she spotted a slightly overgrown sign up ahead fixed to a tree reading: 

The Hotel Silas  
2 miles

“That’s lucky,” she sighed realising just how tired she was at this point. She had no desire to travel much further, turning the car off the main road to follow the signs. The road twisted smoothly through a dark, looming forest before opening onto a valley stretching back to the base of vast, sloping mountains behind a single, curious building standing tall and proud against its backdrop.  
She pulled into a space in the quite busy parking area.  
Cold, crisp air nipped at her skin as she stepped from her car scanning the beautiful, desolate landscape. The hotel’s exterior was pretty but not overly grand with a homely feel to it.  
She glanced around taking it in before her eyes fell on the figure standing in the doorway on the front steps. She stared out watching the light slowly climb the sky over the mountainside to chase the shadows from the valley.  
Even in the dim light Laura decided this stranger was probably the most beautiful girl she’d ever seen. Long dark hair, sharp features, leaning languidly against the rail playing with a lighter between her long, pale fingers. She seemed contemplative and but something else too, ‘sad maybe,’ Laura considered.

Stepping into the gentle light escaping the hotel seemed to snap the stranger from her daydream. She turned to meet Laura’s gaze, ‘oh god those eyes,’ Laura thought suddenly caught by dark, intense orbs piercing her. She felt an instant pull towards this girl, some unexplainable force like a siren luring in their prey.  
“Welcome weary traveler.” The girl said playfully, in a soft almost seductive voice with a rough texture that made Laura shiver. She blamed the cold breeze still gently ruffling their hair a little even in the shelter of the building.  
Laura smiled and mumbled a “Hey” after spending probably a little too long trying to think of a witty response. She flushed slightly dropping her gaze, ‘come on, where’s that Hollis charm.’ she complained to herself not used to being completely thrown off balance.  
When she caught the girl's gaze again there was something new and thrilling now shining in her dark, mischievous eyes and a knowing smirk playing on her soft lips.  
Laura’s heart ricocheted around in her chest in response. She flushed harder.  
The girl held her there in her intense stare for a few moments clearly enjoying her effect on Laura before turning to lead her into the hotel.  
“I’ll help you check in.” She held the door open for Laura, “After you my lady.” She said in a posh voice bowing as Laura passed shaking her head regaining her composure.  
“You had sexy, mysterious stranger working for you, but now… I don’t know… you’re kinda a dork,” Laura jabbed smirking playfully.  
The girl smiled widely before straightening up and composing herself, peering through her long eyelashes seductively.  
“Is this better cupcake?”  
Laura fought shivers that raced along her spine at the sudden low raspiness to her voice.  
She just smiled in responce not really trusting her voice.  
The girl froze suddenly,  
“oh, would you mind not telling the staff you saw me out there I’m supposed to be working?” She asked, suddenly apprehensive.  
“Yeah sure,” Laura replied, 'must be quite strict here' she thought 'well maybe that's a sign of quality of service?' She reasoned.  
The girl gauged her reaction, “My mother owns this hotel,” the girl explained smiling sadly.  
Laura nodded in recognition and approached the desk to check in with the friendly receptionist seated there.  
Laura glanced around the quiet lobby to see the girl still watching her carefully before her attention was drawn back to the desk again.  
“Alright, that’s you Laura, room 307.” The receptionist smiled handing her the key.  
“Laura.”  
‘Wow,’ Laura felt her whole body respond to that soft, voice gently purring her name from behind her. She turned to respond only to see the girl almost panic like she hadn’t intended to say it out loud. They smiled at each other standing under a heavy silence.  
After a few moments the girl turned and began to head off into the hotel’s restaurant, “See you later Laura,” She smirked back over her shoulder.  
Laura watched her walk away only then realising she was wearing leather pants, ‘How did I miss that…. wow,’ She thought trying not to let her eyes follow the curves of her body. ‘Trying’ being the key word here. She watched the sway of her hips for a moment suddenly pulled from her thoughts.  
“Hey! Wait.. What’s your name?” Laura called after her.  
The girl turned to smirk back at her teasingly. Just as Laura thought she was about leave without so much as a name.  
She turned on her heels, “Carmilla.”  
She winked before rounding the corner leaving a flustered Laura in her wake.


	2. My Head Grew Heavy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla gets into her duties for the day, while Laura begins her investigation.

Carmilla stepped into the darkened corridor at basement level, she wondered if she would ever walk this hall without the feeling that her execution was upon her.  
Another of mother’s summons. Another job. Another victim. She stepped into the plush, expensively decorated, windowless office feeling the chill already settling around her as she took the chair facing the desk.  
Mother’s void, steely blue eyes sliced into her from where she sat behind her desk, hands folded together in front of her waiting in an unnerving silence.

“Dearest Carmilla, another little task for you,” the sharpness in her voice couldn’t be hidden by her pleasant words or twisting smile.  
Carmilla sighed looking around the room, avoiding eye contact, waiting to be instructed. She remembered when she used to be able to hold that icy glare defiantly for a whole conversation. She shivered, the sharp pain spreading through her limbs even at the thought. Like holding her hand against something frozen for too long to the point of pain spiking along her nerves. As she learned, one of many deadly skills her mother could use relentlessly until her staff were a little more compliant. But, like everyone else in this place, her resilience had long faded to apathy and boredom. Sure she hated her role but it’s not like she could resist, mother had ways of getting exactly what she wanted.

“I need you to go down to the campus and bring me another. Mmmm, the desperation in this one, I feel it. Elsie; blonde, cute and deliciously repressed. Be a good girl; tempt her, lure her back, room 408 can be hers. I’ll collect when she’s ready, this one won’t take long.” She dealt out her orders smiling to herself before her gaze flicked back to see Carmilla slouched in the chair staring at a wall wearing an expression of boredom. She was, of course, listening. She knew better than to truly defy mother, but she enjoyed small victories: like pretending to ignore her. Her mother’s smugness dropped for a second, anger flashing across her face.  
“Carmilla darling, are you listening?” Carmilla just nodded looking down to hid her smile. Her mother growled, “You know I don’t tolerate this kind of behaviour.”  
Carmilla barely shrugged, trying to seem unfazed but her insides churned knowing all too well what happened if she disobeyed.  
“Alright. Dismissed dear.” The anger had dropped from her voice. She gave Carmilla a well practised polite smile.  
Carmilla rose from the chair and strode out the door hands in pockets, head down, already feeling the weight of her obligations hanging over her.

———————————————————————————————————————————

Laura approached the dorm room.  
“This was Betty’s old room. She went missing 3 months ago but some of her stuff is still here. Her roommate hasn’t gotten around to doing anything with it yet.” Danny pushed the door open gently before stepping aside to let Laura enter.  
“Thanks,” she said quietly glancing around the little room.  
“Will this help? I mean like, looking through her stuff. You thinking you’ll find something the police haven’t?” Danny questioned watching Laura search the room.  
“Just taking a look, these kids have been disappearing from the campus. Maybe even from their rooms. Plus I have a meeting set up with a detective in a few days time but I wanted a chance to familiarise myself with my surrounds and those that knew the missing girls.” Laura replied crouching down to slid a box out from underneath the bed. Laura almost smiled to herself.  
“Was Betty a big partier then?” She moved aside to show Danny, gesturing to the box filled with several different bottles of alcohol with varying quantities left.  
“This is a college campus,” Danny shrugged dismissively. 

“We could discuss our theories over lunch?” This was Danny’s second attempt at asking Laura to lunch, she noted. ‘She sure is persistent,’ Laura thought, trying to devise an excuse. She wanted to make some notes and talk to the floor don but couldn’t find a kind way to shake Danny.  
Laura started to speak when she thought she saw a flash of long dark hair disappearing around the corner of the theatre building.  
“Carmilla?” She said out loud but completely to herself.  
“Who?” Danny turned to follow her gaze.  
“Excuse me, I’ll catch up with you later,” Laura smiled passing Danny to hopefully pursue the dark haired girl she hadn't stopped thinking about all morning.  
“Maybe I should come too? You might get lost on the campus.” Danny tried.  
“No thanks, I’m fine,” Laura replied politely over her shoulder. ‘Jez, thanks Danny cus I’m completely helpless without you, the last 24 years of my life have been nearly impossible,’ Laura thought laughing to herself, shaking her head. She couldn’t decide if the other girl just wanted to spend time with her or if she was just that overprotective.  
Laura rounded the corner at which she had glimpsed Carmilla. She looked around in confusion. If she had been there, she was gone now. Laura sighed. ‘Great now we’re imagining the mysterious girl we saw yesterday. The beautiful, mysterious girl... Ok we need to stop... And not internally refer to ourselves as *we*,’ Laura pulled herself from her thoughts heading back towards the administration offices.

A distracted Laura bumped into someone dropping her notebook as she enter the floor don’s office.  
“I’m sorry I was looking behind me,” She apologised quickly, the girl in front of her, with red curly hair, beat her to pick it up. She gently smoothed the page corners down as she handed it back.  
“It’s ok sweetie, I’m Perry, the floor don, what can I do for you?” Perry beamed.  
“Oh hey, I’m Laura Hollis, I contacted you about the missing girls,” she answered.  
“Ah yes, Laura hello, it’s so terrible isn’t it, I said I’d put you in touch with some of their friends and the last people thought to have seen them, if you think it will help.” Perry’s smile left her face. She turned towards her highly organised desk. She lifted a sheet that had been waiting on the top of an impossibly neatly stacked pile of paperwork. Laura accepted it from her and took a quick glance at it to see contact information, laid out in alphabetical order and colour coded for each girl.  
“Wow, thanks,” She replied in surprise. She’d had several conversations with Perry over the phone but it was nice to put a face to a name.  
“I’m sorry I have to run on to a student crisis, I’ll see you,” Perry chirped ushering Laura out.  
“Alright, cya,” Laura stepped out of the office letting Perry rush past. She glanced down the list immediately seeing a familiar name:  
Carmilla Karnstein.  
What are the chances there’s more than one Carmilla in this town?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to update this, been busy lately. 
> 
> I want to keep the story to Hollstein but also have a plot, so apologies if you don't like the other characters being brought in. I'm going to try to keep their parts brief and plot essential. I don't like Danny: that might be obvious from this but incase there is doubt.
> 
> Also the chapter titles may change around, they are lyrics from the song which relate to the chapters, sometimes vaguely, and so I might end up swapping them.


End file.
